Boron nanoparticles inhibit tumour growth by boron neutron capture therapy in the murine B16-OVA model.

Background: Boron neutron capture therapy usually relies on soluble, rather than particulate, boron compounds. This study evaluated the use of a novel boron nanoparticle for boron neutron capture therapy. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and fifty thousand B16-OVA tumour cells, pre-incubated with boron nanoparticles for 12 hours, were injected subcutaneously into C57BL/6J mice. The tumour sites were exposed to different doses of neutron radiation one, four, or eight days after tumour cell inoculation. Results: When the tumour site was irradiated with thermal neutrons one day after injection, tumour growth was delayed and the treated mice survived longer than untreated controls (median survival time 20 days (N=8) compared with 10 days (N=7) for untreated mice). Conclusion: Boron nanoparticles significantly delay the growth of an aggressive B16-OVA tumour in vivo by boron neutron capture therapy.